Vengeful Lovers
by MouHitoriNoKei
Summary: Sequel to Bitter Lovers. KuramaXHiei. Kurama has become abusive towards Hiei...but why? Find out and read! RR, hope ya like. NO FLAMES...mean ppl...FINAL CHAPTER UPLOADED!
1. One Year Later

Hooray! Another sequel!!! Everyone seemed to like 'Forbidden Love' and 'Bitter Lovers' so, time for another sequel. This one is called 'Vengeful Lovers' Yeah....I like the whole theme with 'Lovers' at the end....*Giggles* Well, I shalst warn you now...MKPD (Major Kurama Personality Distortion) Hopefully, chappy 2 will be up soon. Thanks to all the readers. Hope I can produce more work for you to like. ^.^

DISCLAIMER: I don't own YYH...but...I DO OWN A KURAMA ACTION FIGURE! *Snuggles it* My friend got it for me for a late b-day gift. Thanks Saiai!!!!!

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Chapter 1

He yelped, falling to the cold floor. He was used to this after a year, but tonight seemed to hurt more. With the glimmering blood sliding down his lips, he looked up at his love, his koibito. 

"Get up!" A swift kick to his ribs sent him flying across the room, as he looked into the eyes of the ravenous fox who circled around him. "I said GET UP!" Another blow threw the small, fire youkai into the wall of the room that held so many memories.

"Hiei, are you going to get up, or do I have to make you?" A cackle approached the small youkai, as he trembled in fear. With all his strength, he rose to his feet, the blood still sliding down his lips.

"So beautiful, to see your lips drenched in the crimson blood..." Walking closer still, the youko grinned, grabbing the fragile youkai by the waist, pressing his own lips against his, smearing the blood around. The warmth of the blood against Hiei's quivering lips brought the youko to grin as he released him from the kiss. Licking his lips clean of the still clinging blood, the youko grinned.

"Now...say it." Sternly, yet playfully he spoke, running his fingers through the jagged tuffs of hair that lay atop Hiei's head.

"I love you, Kurama..."

"You make it sound so convincing, Hiei." Running a devious finger down his fair, sleek skin. 

With no emotion, he closed his eyes, letting tears of pain slither down his cheeks. "It's because I do love you, Kurama." Like a mindless drone, he repeated those words to Kurama. He was nothing more then a puppet, who only obeyed the puppeteer he loved. The year passed by, dragging its' feet behind it. The sincerity in Kurama's eyes faded, and now, those jade eyes which Hiei admired only held hatred and evil, while Hiei's seemed to lighten up, compassion and love now within. Each drop of blood Hiei lost, more and more hatred consumed Kurama's soul, and more kindness invaded Hiei's mind. Hiei loved Kurama with all his heart, and wouldn't dare contradict him, not when he held what Hiei feared most.

Beside the bed, on a mahogany table, sat a vase stood, beautiful flowers arranged to be pleasing to the eye, yet harmful to Hiei's already mutilated body. Turning on his heel, Kurama flashed a grin at Hiei before walking to the vase, wrapping his pale fingers around the stem of a newly bloomed rose.

"Beautiful, don't you agree, Hiei?" Toying with the delicate petals, the scarlet haired youko batted his eyes at the youkai, as his eyes only shifted from view of the rose. He simply nodded, not to the approval of Kurama.

"Hiei, how can you not love the rose?" With a flick of his petit wrist, the rose was contorted into the Rose Whip, a weapon that seduced the eye, an enchanting weapon that seemed to enjoy being used to bring pain to the fire youkai. "The petals, delicate to the touch. But, as they say, every rose has its' thorn..." Bringing forth the whip, it hissed, lashing at Hiei, catching him by his arm. The panicked youkai could only try to retrieve the arm that had been captured, but to no avail. The thorns dug deep into his arm, as he cried out in pain, only to the approval of his master. 

"Please, Kurama...."

"Hearing you beg...it's just so...." He grinned, pulling him closer still. "Delicious...." Kissing him once again, he put his delicate fingers to Hiei's blood soaked lips. "My little rose..."


	2. New Love Forming?

I shalst warn all you loyal readers now...essence of a HieiXYusuke thing here...only on Hiei's part, though. Kurama ish being a bad boy...and Hiei's wandering eyes will get him in trouble.....

DISCLAIMER: I do not own YYH...so stop bugging me about it...

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Chapter 2

"Hiei...?" The Spirit Detective's voice trailed off as the fiercely aggravated youkai glared at him. 

"What?!" Snapped the youkai, resting his weary mind as he sat on a park bench, making sure his back didn't even so much as such the chipped paint of the back. Yusuke Urameshi looked on, titling his head slightly. He noticed Hiei's left eye, a blackened ring surrounding it. The bruise gently cradled the youkai's scarlet eye. "What are you staring at?!" He snarled, shielding both the bruise and his emotions.

"Where'd ya get the black eye?" Yusuke stepped forward slightly, only to be pushed back by Hiei.

Like the demon he was, he growled viciously. "It's no business of yours, human." He kicked up rocks as he walked away from the tediously persistent ningen who didn't know when to give him. The last few weeks had been worse for him. The whippings had become hourly instead of daily, the marks etched into his back and around his wrists. The thorns dug deeply, the blood trickling down the youkai's arms. His lover enjoyed his pain, laughing sadistically when the crimson consumed his arm. He never understood it, why his koibito enjoyed his pain so much. Hiei only remembered one person who loved blood and pain as much as Kurama did...but that was forgotten, his memory tarnished with the torment and anguish that resided in his heart.

Walking on further, he reached the busy, buzzing city. What he didn't know was he was being trailed.

"Dammit, Hiei!" Slamming Hiei against the hard siding of a building, he pinned both arms to the cold siding. "Let me help you! That's what friends do!" The Spirit Detective was abnormally aggressive, as Hiei looked deeply into his chestnut eyes, seeing the serene sincerity he longed for. The kindness in compassion he once saw in his lover had vanished, and he saw it resurrected in Yusuke's reckless eyes.

"Yusuke..." In a slight whimper, Hiei's body felt weak under the human's hands.

With a sharp look in his eyes, Yusuke seemed to snicker. "You can't keep your emotions bottled up forever, shorty. One of these days, you will open up." Winking, Yusuke releasing the trembling youkai. "I know it..." Jamming his hands into his jean pocket, he walked off, only being watched by the mesmerized Hiei.

"Yusuke...." He whispered, noticing how the tight jeans curved gently around Yusuke's hips. Was love forming between the youkai and the human? No, of course not. Hiei had what he wanted, or did he?

Turning suddenly, Yusuke pointed an extended hand at Hiei, his fingers forming the well known and feared Spirit Gun. "Hey, Hiei!" He called, Hiei only slightly raising his steadily blushing face. "You better lighten up, or..." Pausing, he grinned, motioning the Spirit Gun firing off a shot. "Bang..." Laughing sharply, Yusuke waved as he left. Hiei touched his cheek, feeling the fire inside boil.

"No, you have what you want." He told himself, walking down the calmed streets. "Even though Yusuke doesn't whip you like he does." He pondered what life would be like if Kurama was more like Yusuke. Shaking these thoughts out of his head, he returned to the place he called home. Shuuichi's home. Shuuichi no longer resided there. Kurama was the only inhabitant. This was the house that the demons built, a prison for Hiei to feel the pain and disparity of a million mournful cries of the long since dead. Plopping down on the sofa, Hiei sighed deeply, looking around the brightly colored walls of the quaint home.

"Oh, Hiei...come upstairs, please..." In the sweetly sedative voice, Kurama called from upstairs, his voice echoing slightly. Turing his head, the youkai quivered, looking at the clock plastered on the wall. He was supposed to be back at noon, but the mischievous clock struck 1PM. He was late, and the punishment was one to be feared. "HIEI!" The voice hissed, being followed by a door slam, the sound of bare feet trudging down the carpet, and the lashing of the whip the youkai feared so. "Didn't you hear me calling?" The crimson haired youko interrogated the demon, pushing the demon to the floor.

"Yes, I heard you, and I'm sorry Kurama, but I just...." The lashing of the whip shushed him.

"So, you were ignoring me?"

"No, Kurama. Of course not!" 

"SILENCE!" The whip cracked, coming down across Hiei's back as he shrieked in pain. "Get upstairs now...."

And, like a good boy, he trotted up the stairs, the blood seeping through the coat that covered his back. Kurama saw something in Hiei's eyes that wasn't there before. Suspicious, he followed up after Hiei, hoping he could blind the wandering eyes of his whipping boy. Pushing Hiei onto the awaiting bed, Kurama closed the door behind him, Hiei's scream of pain echoing into the afternoon sky.


	3. A New Playmate

Hooray! Finally, another chapter! About time, right? Yea, I'm slow, what can I say? Thanks to everyone for waiting patiently. I know your days just thrive on reading my 'masterpieces' *Sarcasm* Annnnnway....Enjoi 'Vengeful Lovers' chapter 3!!

DISCLAIMER: Yea...it's not mine...you know the drill...

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Chapter 3

He returned the next day with a few new bruises to add to the collection of lost hopes. He looked to the door, the mahogany color dully shimmering in his eyes. Knocking gently, he awaited an answer, getting one he never would have expected. 

"Hey, kiddy!!!!" The words were stretched out and contorted in such a way that they stung Hiei's ears. He looked up with confused crimson eyes to see a woman standing before him, the scent of alcohol plastered on her breathe. She smiled a crooked smile and picked the youkai up like a frail child, swinging him around carelessly, cackling insanely. The youkai could only watch in confusion as the woman lovingly throw him around as if he were a child's plaything. She stopped, breathing bitter sweet liquored words at him.

"Let's do it again sometime, cutie!" And, she left, leaving the youkai's scarlet eyes wide with both confusion and fear. He made sure the drunken mess had left and entered the home slyly, hoping not to be detected. 

A snicker filled the air. "Since when do you break into other people's houses, Hiei?" The youkai shot around to see a smiling face, that of the spirit detective, Yusuke Urameshi. Hiei sighed deeply and tried to erase the pale blush that formed on his cheeks. 

"I-I-" He stammered, not finding words that could be jammed together to make a reasonable sentence. Why was he acting this way, stammering and stuttering? He'd never done this before. Maybe it was the way Yusuke's soft, yet rigid auburn eyes looked upon him as if he were human, someone who deserved mercy and love, though he wasn't. He was a bloodthirsty youkai who got what he deserved at home, lashings at the hands of a vengeful lover, jealous of the supposed wandering eyes he had. Though, that worry was unneeded, because even though each bruise, to his lover, represented pain, to him, they were signs of love. Oh, how the youkai's mind was contorted to believe everything and understand so little...

Unaware of what had happened, Hiei was snapped back into reality by Yusuke's warm hands at his cheek, checking out another bruise that had been awakened the night before.   
"Tsk. Tsk. Tsk." Was he all he managed to say, running a smooth finger over the discoloration on Hiei's cheek. "Ya know, if I didn't no better, I'd think you were doing this just to get my attention." Yusuke smirked slyly, his hand leaving its' resting spot on Hiei's cheeks.

_No, no...put that back there...please. _What was he thinking? He mentally smacked himself, these thoughts erasing themselves rather quickly. Yusuke eyed Hiei suspiciously, seeing a certain look in Hiei's eyes that made him curious. 

"W-what?! How absurd!" Hiei huffed, folding his arms delicately across his chest. "What the hell would make you think that?" His eyes traced over Yusuke's body, seeing this odd aura around him, the aura he once saw around the crimson haired one. He shook his head and told himself, _No, not him....no...please... _He pleaded with his heart not to fall for Yusuke Uremeshi, Spirit Detective and all around great guy, but not in Hiei's eyes. He was something more then what people said he was. He was a savior, one who would tear him away from the hole he was in now, and show him the light. 

Suddenly, Hiei stood on his tiptoes and placed his callused lips gently on Yusuke's. He pressed softly and released him, blushing furiously. His scarlet eyes traced the boarding of the floor as he ran out of there, Yusuke standing there, dumbstruck and confused, which wasn't anything new. He touched his lips gently, still tasting Hiei's bitter sweet breathe. "Hiei...."

Hiei leapt across the trees, tears streaking across his face. What have I done? I kissed him...I kissed Yusuke. What if Kurama finds out?! He'll kill me!! Fear fed the sadness within, and he continued to cry, as long strands of crimson blew in the breeze. He had seen everything, and a sly smile played on his lips.

"Oh, Hiei...you've been a bad boy. Now, I must punish your playmate..." The crimson haired one leapt off into the setting sun, devious jade eyes glistening. 


	4. Ashen Hatred

Hooray! Yet another chapter of the messed up 'Lovers' trilogy! Anyway, I hope you enjoy this late holiday gift of Chapter 4 of 'Vengeful Lovers'! Happy Holidays all!!!  


::Disclaimer:: Sup? Yea, I know, I know. I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho...blah!!

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Chapter 4

Another typical lonely night for the Spirit Detective, sitting on his bed and throwing a tennis ball absentmindedly against his wall, the stench of liquor still plastered on his walls, though his mother had long since retreated to the sanctuary she called the local bar. 

"Kaeko's with her friends, Kuwabara is with Yukina...Hell, I'd be as desperate as to hang with Koenma...but he's got some 'business'." Yusuke frowned, the ball suddenly bouncing back and hitting its' master square in the forehead. Yusuke seemed to laugh it off, his head hitting the pillow with a soft thud.

"Hn. Seems like no fun without your new toy...huh, Yusuke?" He recognized that voice. Yusuke shot up and saw the kitsune, his crimson hair blazing in the dim light of the moon. His lips twisted into a little smirk as Yusuke chuckled nervously, looking up to his friend, or who he thought was a friend.

"K-kurama...I-I didn't see you come in." He smiled wearily as the kitsune stepped forward, inching Yusuke closer and closer back until he hit the cold wall. His back arched, the Spirit Detective trembled as Kurama pushed himself up against Yusuke.

"I have my ways of just," He forced his midsection into Yusuke's. "Sneaking up on people." Kurama snickered and looked deeply into the other's dark eyes, which reminded him so much of his 'lover's', silent, though telling a story that was unforgettable. Yusuke looked into the hazed jade with fear in his chocolate orbs.

"K-kurama....?"

"I saw you with Hiei this afternoon...Seems odd, doesn't it? The way he's acting, I mean."

"It is...but..."

"And, I mean...he's never actually _forced_ himself on you like he did, did he?"

"How do you know about th--?!"

"I know everything, Yusuke..." Kurama hissed, reaching to his side and digging deep into his pocket. "I thought you would have realized this by now, but the price of making me angry is heavy." His rigid hand returned with a silver blade, glistening demonically. Yusuke's eyes widened as Kurama brought the knife to his victim's silken cheek, running the dull side along the sweat drenched skin. "Theft is punishable by death, Yusuke. You do know that, don't you?"

"What the hell are you talking about?!" Yusuke forced his body up against Kurama's, only to have it slammed back to its' place on the wall, his face sliced with the blade and bleed a heavy crimson liquid. 

The kitsune laughed and pressed his body harder against the one who attempted to fight back. "Pitiful." He muttered, moving the now bloodied knife from Yusuke's cheek to his throat, the blade just violently tickling his Adam's Apple. "You know exactly what I'm talking about, fool. You've stolen a kiss from my lover, and I intend to take it back." With that, Kurama brought his lips violently to Yusuke's, the Spirit Detective fighting this forceful kiss. As their lips parted, Yusuke looked to Kurama's hair, noticing a few ashen streaks blending with the flaring scarlet. He cocked an eyebrow as Kurama looked to his victim with a grin. "Now that I have taken back what was mine, it's time for you to die."

"WH--?" Before he could finish his sentence, Yusuke's throat had been slashed, the thick crimson blood bubbling from the ear to ear gash. The body dropped and laid contortedly amongst the river of red. He kneeled down, tracing little shapes in to the pool, bringing his finger to his lips and licking the bitter sweet blood.

"Foolish being...he didn't honestly think he could get away with what he did, did he?" The ashen strands of hair grew as he leapt off, leaving the fallen body to rest in a hellish paradise of deceit. 


	5. Return To Me

Well..this is it...the final chapter of the third story in my triology...so...I guess this is it...::Half sobs:: It was good..."Forbidden Love", "Bitter Lovers", and now finally, "Vengeful Lovers". My HieiXKurama obsession has now resulted in three fics, all successful. So, I hope you enjoy this final chapter...I guess I'm a sucker for happy endings..-.-;; So, enjoy! Oh, and thank you to everyone who reviewed! I love you all!!

**::Disclaimer::**

Hiei: ::Looks up:: What are you staring at? Oh...ya...this ningen doesn't own me, Kurama, or anything else for that matter...just her perverted mind.

That's right! Enjoy!

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Chapter 5

A new day had dawned and his crimson eyes met with the sun in delight as he rose silently from a bed already emptied. He found it strange, his lover missing this early, but he was happy nonetheless. He slipped on the ebony cape, still stained with blood from the night before. _H-he seemed more angry and vicious last night. _He shrugged off the feeling as he leapt off, limping slightly.

The light kissed his pallid cheeks as he strolled down the sun-bathed streets. Ebony bangs shielded weary crimson eyes as he traced the sidewalk, the cold, unwelcoming sidewalk. He said nothing, though his thoughts wandered enough. The youkai's mind was restless as the only thing on his mind was Yusuke and the night before. That single thought flourished and branched off into a thousand new questions. _Why did I kiss him when I have Kurama? I mean, yes...over the past year or so, he's been acting a bit...odd...but he still loves me. He knows how much I sacrificed for him, and I know he loves me. But, when Yusuke's lips hit mine, it just felt so right, so warm... _Hiei shook his head and ran his pallid fingers through his ebony locks. Shifting through dried blood and stray hairs, he brought his hand back to his own lips, tracing his finger along where Yusuke's lips had touched him, where they had set their gentle, satin touch upon them, and he smiled faintly. _It just felt so right..._

"That smile on your face says it all, doesn't it?" Hiei quickly turned to see someone he thought to be his lover, though he only saw bitter eyes and a twisted grin. His jade eyes seemed now almost a sleek auburn, and his hair, completely ashen, except for a few stray strands of a faint, sun kissed scarlet. "That smile...so pure...and I wonder why causes you to smile like that, Hiei. I sure as hell never made you smile like that."

"K-kurama...?" Hiei's eyes widened a bit as he looked deep into the unspeaking orbs of the creature before him. Seeming both apprehensive and fearful of his lover's new form, he stepped back, only to have the creature before him take a single step forward. "W-what's wrong?" His usually strong voice quaked under the other's hateful eyes. This scared him, but pleased Kurama.

Moments passed by as their eyes met, a sinister grin on the youko's face. Hiei trembled under the glare of those eyes, those cold eyes that seemed to stare endlessly into his own. His golden gaze seemed to pierce right into and through his fragile soul. The youkai had never felt this way before, this feeling of helplessness and fear as he looked into the eyes of his lover. The youkai felt a coldness pulse through his body like he had never felt, and this was something that had never emitted from him. The ashen haired one sensed this, and it gave him such immense satisfaction to instill on the heart the fear that had ran rampant years upon years ago. The good old days of young when the great bandit Youko Kurama would rule the Makai and when all eyes would be locked on the sleek, stealth movements of the greatest thief ever to be born amongst the world of the demons. The thrill of being looked at with the orbs of colossal fear had vanished when the body of Shuuichi Minamino was acquired, but now, that the soul of Youko Kurama was taking over the boy's body, the kitsune could be reborn and reek havoc on the world once more. The fox looked down to the trembling fire demon, stepping forward ever so slightly, the youkai cringing at the endless echo of his hollowed footsteps.

"Hiei, my dear, sweet Hiei," He paused, chuckling softly to himself. Ablaze with anger, his amber orbs looked upon his helpless victim. "Sorrow has swallowed you, leaving you with nothing more then a bitter taste on your lips from when you betrayed me. Am I right?"

Hiei's crimson eyes shot open at the mention of the kiss, the kiss he thought to be a sacred mistake. "H-how did you--"

"And, I thought you loved me, Hiei." With sarcastic grief, his face contorted into a mock frown, eyes softened with artificial sadness. "Your betrayal hurts with the pain of a thousand daggers, but I can forgive you..." Raising a hand now fitted with sharp, sallow claws, glistening with deceit and malice, he licked away at a small speck of crimson that rested under those colorless claws. With a sickening grin, he lifted his long, slender fingers towards the deathly pale face of the fire demon before him, gliding those razor sharp claws along the soft skin that rested on Hiei's cheek. After gazing into the dark orbs of the kitsune in front of him, Hiei whispered out soft words encased in both fear and uncertainty.

"B-bring him back..."

Cocking an eyebrow, the ashen haired Kurama chuckled, swiftly digging his nails into Hiei's cheek. Letting out a shrill grunt, he pulled away, tears filling his stern eyes. A newfound rage filled him as he backed away from the bandit and, in a voice filled with such hatred, he screamed. "Bring him back!"

Youko's ears pinned back sharply as again, he chuckled, finding the little youkai's anger most amusing. Baring his fangs in a toothy grin, he hastily slammed the youkai into the nearest wall, a sickening thud echoing through the air thickened with silent anxiety. "I'm sorry, Hiei, but," He leaned in, his lips just barely grazing Hiei's ear. "The stolen cannot be returned." Crimson orbs glistened with shock and more rage.

"What do you--?!"

"Don't be foolish, Hiei!" Snarled Youko, pinning Hiei against the cold concrete wall. The youkai cringed, but never faltered. His evil glare was still fixated on the ashen hair kitsune, scarlet orbs shimmering with tears collecting in the back of his eyes. "That fragile human boy, ruled by his worthless emotions, is holding us both down, Hiei." Bringing his vile lips down to the demon's neck, Youko viciously nibbled on the pale skin, his fangs sinking in to the fresh flesh. "Just think, Hiei, you and me, together. The two of us could destroy all of these worthless human, and all that would be left would be," Pausing, he lifted his lips, lightly brushed with a small bit of the demon's blood, and pressed them upon the lips of the unsuspecting Hiei. "Just us."

"No."

Youko's eyes widened, amber glaring through the scarlet. "No? What do you mean 'No.'?" He snarled through clenched fangs as Hiei used what little strength he could muster under the immense sadness to push off the kitsune and clench his fists.

"NO! Kurama, return to me! You taught me that bloodshed isn't the only thing that life is about! You taught me about the fragile emotion called love, something I never thought I could achieve. Kurama, my fox," Tears steadily trickled down his face, mixing with the blood that seeped through the wounds on his cheek. "I love you!" The fox hissed, his ears once more pinning back.

"Silence!"

"Kurama, please, I love you! You are the one thing that doesn't piss me off!" This was the real Hiei, the Hiei that Kurama knew. "The only thing that I have ever loved, the only thing that has ever loved me back! Kurama, please, come back to me, my love! Fight the evil within yourself and come back to me!"

"Silence! Shut up!"

"Kurama, I love you! I...love...you...!" Before his eyes, Hiei saw the kitsune fall to his knees, the ashen hair soon reverting back to the satin scarlet. Slowly, but surely, the fox ears sank below the thick tuffs of red hair. Widened eyes looked upon the transformation before him, a soft smile surfacing. After a moment, Hiei stepped forward.

"F-fox?"

"I-I killed him, didn't I?"

"What are you talking about, Kurama?" Resting a hand on the shoulder of the returned ningen, Hiei was ready to offer any type of condolence he could offer his friend, his lover, his fox. He saw the pain surface in those jade orbs, but soon that pain turned to fear. Clutching to him as if he were but the only thread that separated him from the world of life and death, Kurama shed tears, burying his face into the lean chest of his love. He cried, and Hiei allowed him to sob freely, for he knew this was what the fox needed. _He's been through so much...now it is time to rest._

---

It hurt to move, hurt to think, hurt to remember. The crimson haired ningen had been awake for quite some time, though he had recalled falling asleep in warm, comforting arms. His emerald eyes had been focused upon the same spot on the ceiling since he awoke those few hours ago, a migraine claiming responsibility for the awakening. That same creme colored spot on his ceiling hadn't changed, hadn't shifted, but he felt that he had. All he could remember was a deep crimson and frightened eyes upon him. As more memories fled into his mind, the more it hurt. He sighed deeply, trying to lift himself to sit up against the headboard, but to no avail. He let out a sharp gasp of pain as he shifted back into the same position he had been in. He wanted to get up and see if what he had dreamed, or thought he had dreamed, was really all it was. He prayed to the Gods that it was. Deep in thought, the crimson haired boy sensed not the presence sitting but inches away.

"So, you're awake?" A voice, deep and dull, spoke from the darkness surrounding the corners of the light deprived room. The bedridden one's body stiffened in fright as he jerked forward, crying out in pain once more. Gritting his teeth and biting his tongue, he lay back down, eyes darting from left to right, right to left. "Calm down, Kurama." The voice whispered, its' owner stepping into the sliver of light the moon did provide, revealing a bare, pale chest and ebony slacks. As the figure came more into Kurama's view, a small smile danced upon his lips as he saw the jagged tuffs of ebony and ivory, the plain white headband wrapped around his forehead.

"Hiei..." The ningen whispered. He was so happy to see his love, a familiar face in a world he thought estranged. The demon guided a hand towards the human's pallid cheek, carressing it lovingly. Like the fox he was, Kurama seemed to relish in the gentle touch, almost purring.

"Don't move too much, Kurama." The order was given, and Kurama obeyed, though he was a bit curious on why Hiei's left eye showed the signs of a healing bruise. Dare he ask?

Of course. "Hiei, what happened to your eye?"

Hiei stopped all movement and his body stiffened. He didn't want to remind his love of the terrible experience, where a rabid fox had emerged from one of a gentle demeanor, harmed and even killed one of the gentle one's companions. He only took his rightful place beside his lover, wrapping an arm around his weak shoulders. The demon rather protectively pulled his love into his chest, running rigid fingers through his silky crimson locks. Kurama didn't mind Hiei's normally forward behavior, letting his head rest against Hiei's muscular chest. He sighed deeply, his hot breathe hitting the pale skin. The long silence between the two was enough to make Kurama forget the question he had just asked, his lover's sweet scent seeming to encase him in the paradise he had been absent from for quite a while. "I love you, Hiei."

The fire demon couldn't help but smile as he repeated the words, though now, they weren't forced out by the crack of a whip or doubted, no. They were sincere, true. "I love you too f--" He paused, kissing the top of his head with tender lips. "Kurama."

Kurama never did find out about those horrible times that were tossed to the wind, forgotten by all but Hiei. He never did forget the feel of the thorns embedded deep in his back, the scars never fully healing. He never did forget the feel of Yusuke's lips upon his own as for a moment, he had experienced doubt in his and his lover's relationship, the taste never leaving his lips. He never did forgot the golden glimmer of the hungry demon's orbs, filled with a want for malice love and a lust for blood, the fear never truly subsiding. All of this would cling inside of Hiei, though the pain he experienced would matter not, for as long as Kurama was still in the faint state of a loving utopia, what more did it matter?


End file.
